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With the Smoky Mountains as a backdrop, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, offers exciting adventures at every turn. From museums and dinner shows to shopping and water parks, Gatlinburg has it all. Whether you’re looking for something indoors or outdoors, small or grand, there’s a water park to fit your needs.

Wilderness at the Smokies

Wilderness at the Smokies (wildernessatthesmokies.com) offers three water parks in one resort. Open daily, Wild WaterDome is a 66,000-square-foot indoor water park. Attractions include The Great Wave wave pool, Washout Mountain water playground, Smokies Surf Rider surf simulator, and a variety of water slides. Park hours vary.

Lake Wilderness and Salamander Springs, the resort's outdoor water parks, are open seasonally from May to September. Both parks offer family-friendly water attractions including slides, pools, lazy rivers and water playgrounds. Water park admission is included with your stay at one of the resort's two lodges.

Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort

More than 300,000 gallons of water fun await you at the Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort in Gatlinburg. Home to the country’s fifth-largest indoor water park, Wild Bear Falls (wildbearfalls.com) attractions include Cades Cove lazy river, Clingman’s Dome tube slide, Ramsey Cascades interactive play area, Laurel Falls body slide and Grotto Falls hot tub. Other amenities include the Bearfoot Arcade, Roaring Fork Grill and a gift shop. Day passes are available. Park hours vary.

Dollywood’s Splash Country

Located in nearby Pigeon Forge, Dollywood’s Splash Country (dollywood.com) is a 30-acre outdoor water park adjacent to Dollywood theme park. Open seasonally from May to September, Splash Country has more than 23 water slides and attractions including Big Bear Plunge white water rafting ride, Mountain Waves wave pool, Little Creek Falls children’s pool and play area, and The Butterfly body slide.

Located inside Splash Country, The Colour Bar and Spa offers manicures, pedicures and massages; reservations are recommended. Souvenir shops and dining venues are also available.

The Park Vista

Want something more than a hotel pool but less flashy than the large water park attractions? The Park Vista (doubletree3.hilton.com) offers a mini-indoor water park, pool and whirlpool. The multi-level pool is open year-round and features a winding slide. An arcade and outdoor playground are also available.

About the Author

Emily Adams is a freelance writer located near Louisville, Ky. She has more than eight years of experience writing for organizations and companies including G.E. Appliances, Kentucky Center for the Arts, Zeon Chemicals and Cherry House Furniture among others. She has a Bachelor of Science in journalism from Ball State University.

Leaf Group is a USA TODAY content partner providing general travel information. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

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